Preserving the Future
by omega13a
Summary: A freak accident sends Harry and Ginny's minds back in time. However, the changes they unintentionally made result in a world where people aren't so trusting of Harry. Can they get the support they need to fight Voldemort and save the lives of others?
1. Chapter 1

**Story Notes:**

This story is sort-of a hodge-podge of ideas I got from other stories. I can't list them all because I may give away too much of the plot. Anyways, enjoy!

**Chapter 1**

It had been six years since Voldemort's defeat in the Battle of Hogwarts. It was now an era of peace and reconstruction though once every few months there was a Death Eater sympathizer who caused some trouble. Usually it was a drunk showing up in the Ministry of Magic or in the idle of Diagon Alley yelling and screaming about the repeal of a random law which discriminated against anyone who wasn't a pure-blood. Every now and then, it was something more serious like a poisoned letter sent to the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Despite these incidents, Harry Potter was glad the war was over. Both he and Ron Weasley had become Aurors. He had married his friend Ron's sister Ginny in May of 2004 and the two had just returned from their honeymoon when he and Ron got an assignment from the head of the Auror Office.

"Doesn't exactly look like anything illegal is going on in there," Ron commented quietly as he and Harry investigated the report about possible dark magic being performed in a cottage in the countryside that was presumed uninhabited.

"Remember Voldemort hid in the Riddle Manor for who knows how long before he got a better body," Harry replied.

"True..."

"Let's see if this isn't another false alarm," Harry suggested and they approached the front door of the cottage. Harry motioned quietly and Ron put out his hand to grasp the doorknob. Much to Harry's surprise, the door wasn't even locked. Upon walking they saw a man who appeared to be about thirty years old in the front room who that was stirring a cauldron filled with a brown liquid. Burlap sacks filled with sand stood on the floor near the man. The table nearby was covered in various items that looked suspiciously like parts for making Time Turners.

The man saw Harry and Ron and tried to make a run for it. Ron, being closest to the man when they entered the house, managed to tackle him but not before knocking over the cauldron creating a large spill. Harry, while helping Ron keep the man from escaping, accidentally tore a bag of sand open. Some of the sand managed to mix with the spilled potion, causing the man to shout.

"Idiots!" shouted the man as he saw the sand and potion mix together. "We've got to get out of here! The potion is an unfinished Sands of Time potion! If it mixes with the sand at this stage... argh! Just don't touch it!"

'What are you talking about you fool?" Ron didn't get any further because Harry suddenly screamed in agony, the potion soaking through Harry's trouser leg and making contact with his skin, setting his nerves on fire.

Harry felt extreme pain as if every nerve in his body was on fire. Harry swore he heard the sound of Ginny screaming as he passed out yelling in agony. It seemed like an eternity before he came around again. When he did, what he saw shocked him. It was his mother Lily though she seemed huge for some odd reason.

"Oh Harry!" Lily exclaimed. "You had us all worried! My poor baby!" Lily picked him up, holding him tightly to her body. Harry looked around to figure out where he was and what was going on. He was very confused as one moment he was with Ron in a cottage investigating dark magic and now he was being held by his mother who had died when he was a year old. He looked around and saw he was in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. His parents, Professor Dumbledore, and Madam Pomfrey were there with him. Madam Pomfrey looked younger for some reason.

"I still don't know what exactly caused his magic core to destabilize like that and for him to pass out," Madam Pomfrey said, shaking her head. "It was good thing you were in Hogsmeade and I was here getting ready for the school year because it would have been too long a wait at St. Mungo's and he may have died while waiting to see a healer." Madam Pomfrey looked relived as she gazed at Harry.

"Will Harry be all right?" asked James frantically. "He hasn't lost his magic or anything? Not that I care. I'm just glad he's alive..." Concern was etched into James's features as he reached out to stroke his son's hair.

"Well, a couple pieces of his magical core did break off but his core will make a full recovery," Madam Pomfrey assured James. "He won't be a Squib. In fact, he may start having accidental magic. The bindings between his magical core and his soul are as strong as that of an adult but his core is nowhere near mature enough for him to do anything reliably..." Madam Pomfrey informed trailing off in thought.

Harry noticed James's eyes were suspicious casting their gaze at the Headmaster. It was then Harry started figure out what happened. He had come into contact with the incomplete Sands of Time potion.

He remembered when he had been recruited by Minister Shacklebolt as an Auror less than a day after the Battle of Hogwarts. One of the first assignments given to the junior level Aurors was to go around to every apothecary in Knockturn Alley and make sure none of them were selling any of the more hard to obtain ingredients for the potion used to make Time Turners. From what he learned about the potion, it was extremely dangerous to make. The slightest mistake and the results could be unpredictable. If sand, which was the last ingredient, was added too soon, the results would always be some form of time travel.

He concluded his soul must have been sent back in time but he didn't know exactly how far back he went. It was obviously sometime in late August otherwise Madam Pomfrey wouldn't be getting ready for the school year. The fact his parents were alive narrow down what year it was. It was either 1980 or 1981 but he had no way of determining that at the moment.

* * *

Shortly after leaving Hogwarts, Ginny was offered a role as chaser in the Holyhead Harpies which she gladly accepted. She was about to use the Floo to get to the stadium when she felt excruciating pain. She felt as if she was hit with a few torture curses at the same time. She screamed in pain before passing out.

When she came around, she found herself on a bed with transparent "walls" in a sterile looking room. She looked around and saw her parents talking with a woman. Ginny didn't know if it was her imagination or not but her parents looked younger. Wanting to know what happened to her, she listened intently to the conversation her parents were having with the woman.

"Your daughter is going to make a full recovery though we don't have an explanation for what happened and I don't like that," the woman informed Ginny's parents.

"I hope it doesn't happen again... I've never felt so helpless... Her crying in pain and couldn't figure out what was wrong and her passing out like that... I don't want to lose my baby girl..." replied Molly.

"You almost did," the woman said gravely. "Another minute or so or we wouldn't have been able to save her. There may be one side effect of this incident. She might start having accidental magic. The bindings her soul has with her magic core are like that of an adult though her core is not ready to perform magic. I pity you if she gets into a bad mood..."

"Our oldest three all started doing magic when they were four so we're prepared for any tantrums," Ginny's father Arthur said confusing Ginny. She suddenly realized she was a baby.

'What exactly is going on here?' Ginny wondered.

* * *

"I don't know why, but I just know Albus is behind what happened to Harry," James insisted. "He was in the same room as us and you left Harry unattended for less than a minute Lily..." James sighed as Harry flew circles just above the floor of the Potter cottage living room on a toy broom. In the previous few hours, Harry learned it was August thirty-first, 1981 from a quick glance of the calendar in the kitchen. Harry wished he could do something to save his parents if he was going to be stuck in the past. As one year old, there wasn't much he could do other than to hope his accidental magic killed Voldemort and that the events of the next couple of months unfolded differently, if he was lucky.

"The only person who would believe us is Aberforth because he saw Albus and Grindelwald doing experiments on each other to improve their magic," Lily replied. "If it wasn't for Aberforth saying that there is a prophecy that could mean Harry is the only one that will be able to defeat Voldemort that some Death Eater overheard part of, I would say Albus made up the danger Harry is in is something after what happened today. I'm sure he believes he risked Harry's life today for 'The Greater Good'. I hope when the twins are born, we'll be able to keep them secret until after this war is over."

"I hope so too," James mused. "It's just so creepy how he is with Harry and Neville. I haven't seen him around any small children, let alone babies, to know if acting all grandfatherly is a way to get the two boys the prophecy... It could be about getting them to have this unconditional trust in him or that he just likes children. If it's the former, keeping the twins from him for as long as possible is the best thing. I don't want any child of mine to be sacrificed for 'The Greater Good'." James shook his head.

Harry was listening to his parents' conversation. He knew at least his mother knew about Dumbledore and Grindelwald's brief friendship from the letter Harry discovered while hiding from Voldemort and the Death Eaters when he was seventeen, but he had had no idea that his parents didn't trust Dumbledore because of it. It could explain why they not only turned down Dumbledore's offer to be their Secret Keeper, but also why they had not told anyone who the real Secret Keeper was.

What _did_ catch him by surprise, however, was them talking about twins. Harry thought he was an only child. Assuming they were ever born, did his parents send them away and never told anyone, like how they never told anyone that Pettigrew was their Secret Keeper? Harry wanted to know. Just then Sirius Black walked into the room. Harry managed to figure out how to stop the broom and got off to keep from getting more dizzy from going around in circles in a such a small area.

"Invited yourself in again?" James asked Sirius. Before Sirius could respond something startled Lily.

"James, I think my water broke," Lily said, sounding panicked. Harry got confused. His mother didn't look pregnant. As he thought about it, the only pictures he ever saw of his mother being pregnant were when she was pregnant with him.

'Did she wear some kind of clothing that was charmed to hide the pregnancy from others?' Harry wondered.

"Lily, the twins aren't due until late October! It's too soon!" James replied shocked.

"You'd better get Lily to that hospital soon," Sirius said. "The same thing happened to my cousin after she had Dora. She and Ted waited too long and they lost the baby when it came out unexpectedly as they came out of the Floo. Go! I'll watch Harry."

In a few moments James and Lily were out the door.

"Looks like you're going to be a big brother a little sooner than expected..." Sirius told Harry as he grabbed a random book from the bookshelf.

A couple of hours later, after entertaining himself with some toy ducks that made a noise when you pulled a string, which was either funny or annoying, Harry couldn't decide, he was just starting to fall asleep on the floor when he heard his father's voice. He looked around and only saw a silver stag in the room.

"Lily had the twins," came James' disembodied voice. "They're are a boy and a girl and are currently in something the Muggles call the intensive care unit. Don't know when we can take them home but they are so tiny... Anyways, according the Muggles here at the hospital, it's a miracle the twins are still alive. Long story and I'll explain it tomorrow."

* * *

It was now the dreaded evening Harry had known he would have to have to go through again: Halloween Evening, 1981. Harry had been finding it harder and harder to think like an adult as time went by. He was able to retain enough of his adult reasoning to come to the conclusion that his younger brother and sister were supposed to have died shortly after being born about two months premature.

They had only survived because Harry's core had destabilized earlier that day and small pieces of it got logged inside both his brother and sister (who were named Charlus Henry and Dorea Eleanor, after all four of their grandparents) while in the womb. When they were born, while they had a pulse, they weren't breathing and were put on life support. The Muggle doctors told Harry's parents that Charlus and Dorea were not breathing for too long and that, combined with the fact they were premature, would most likely mean they would have to be on the life support system for the rest of their lives. Being unable to take the twins to St. Mungo's without killing them, Harry's parents made the difficult decision to disconnect the life support.

Much to everyone's surprise, the twins started breathing on their own. James was curious about the role the twins' magical ability played in their survival. Carefully, so he didn't alert the Muggles, he used a spell his mother taught him while he was learning to be an Animagus. The spell was designed to give the status of a person's magical core and James hurriedly cast it on the twins. Like Harry's had been, both of their magical cores were slightly larger than normal but dangerously weak. James deduced that the strength to survive was coming from the two pieces of Harry's core that had detached from his own core during the incident on the day the twins were born.

Harry didn't care if he didn't understand what his father said. He was just happy he had a brother and sister that were going to be fine. He just hoped he would get the chance to know them since with the exception of the Muggle doctors and nurses and his parents, the only one as far as Harry could tell that knew about them, was Sirius. If his parents died and Sirius got sent to Azkaban like before, Harry felt it would be a miracle if he would see Charlus and Dorea. However, that was the least of Harry's concerns at the moment. All he cared about was grabbing an orange puffy cloud that came out of his father's wand. A few more puffy clouds came out of the wand. Lily walked into the room and Harry realized Voldemort was going to show up at any moment. He needed to do something to at least save his father but what could he do? He held back crying as his mother carried him up the stairs

"James? Lily? Can you come to my office for a moment?" Harry barely heard Dumbledore's voice.

"Lily's putting Harry to sleep. Is it all right Lily stays here? LILY! I'M GOING OVER TO HOGWARTS!" James shouted from the living room. Harry assumed the conversation of being done through the Floo. If that was the case, he just hoped James got to Dumbledore's office before Voldemort came through the door.

"Albus, I think there's a disillusioned person in the room with me... I just saw a distortion move in front of me as I was about to go through." James added a few moments later. Just then, there was the sound of a door being busted down.

"LILY! IT'S HIM! GRAB HARRY AND RUN! VOLDEMORT JUST CAME THROUGH THE DOOR AND FLOO HAS BEEN CUT OFF!" James yelled as Harry's heart sank.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" Voldemort yelled.

Harry was in full panic mode. He had just lost his father again and was about to lose his mother again as well. Harry was panicking so much he didn't notice his mother barricading the entrance to the room in a futile attempt to keep Voldemort out. Soon Voldemort was in the room.

"LEAVE MY SON! HE'S JUST A BABY!"

"STEP OUT OF THE WAY SILLY GIRL!"

"NO! TAKE ME INSTEAD!"

"OUT OF THE WAY! AVADA KEDAVRA!"

With the flash of green light, his mother died and Voldemort's wand was now pointing right at Harry. Harry saw his life going in front of his eyes as he worried about what would happen if the moment had changed too differently from the first time around and he had no protection. He just wished he could at least cast a disarming spell. Just then a red spell came out of his hand and hit Voldemort, sending Voldemort's wand flying across the room.

"Impressive. Most impressive. If it was for a certain prophecy, I would see to it that you be trained to be one of my Death Eaters..." Voldemort said in a very creepy way as he picked up his wand. "But sadly, I have no choice but to kill you. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Harry felt like he was seeing Voldemort's death during what became known as the Battle of Hogwarts all over again. Voldemort's wand flew out of his hand, flipped around so it now pointed at him, and discharged its spell as it landed in Harry's hand. Voldemort's face was one of pure horror as the killing curse hit him, producing an explosion that took out a lot of the room. Harry was glad he was on the floor or he may have been blasted out of the room and fallen one storey to the ground.

Harry looked up at a black cloud that was making an unearthly sound which was all that was left of Voldemort. The cloud flew around in a circle a couple of times before flying off. But not before a piece of him broke away and headed straight for Harry. Harry, knowing what it was, tried to get out of the way but couldn't. He felt a great pain as it hit his forehead. Harry cried his eyes out. He was now not only an orphan once again, but a Horcrux as well.

Harry thought he heard an unfamiliar man's voice nearby say something about things being different over Hagrid wailing over James' body. Dumbledore apparently had just come to the cottage as well and told Hagrid they needed to find Lily and Harry. In a few moments, Dumbledore and Hagrid were in the room Harry was in or rather what was left of it.

"NOT LILY AS WELL! THAT MONSTER!" Hagrid cried.

"Harry is hurt but still alive," Dumbledore said looking at Harry. Dumbledore came closer to Harry.

"Don't worry. You're safe now," Dumbledore reassured Harry as he waved a wand around Harry.

"Incredible... If my readings are correct, it would seem that Lily put a powerful blood protection charm on Harry. I wonder..." Dumbledore told a slightly calmer Hagrid just as he noticed Voldemort's wand which Harry was still holding. Dumbledore pointed his wand at it and a ghostly image of Voldemort came out of Voldemort's wand.

"Looks like Harry had some rather impressive accidental magic," Dumbledore chuckled. "I believe Harry had a bout of magic that disarmed Voldemort resulting in the wand recognizing Harry as its true master. Voldemort obviously picked up his wand and tried to kill Harry but since his wand recognized Harry as its owner, refused to kill him causing it to backfire on Voldemort."

"Wha?" Hagrid asked in between sobs.

"It's rather complicated Hagrid," Dumbledore said as he picked up Harry and handed him to Hagrid. "I'll give a full explanation tomorrow. In the mean time, take Harry to Little Whinging, number four Privet Drive if I correctly recall the address on the letter she sent to me, asking me to help protect her family after her parents were killed by Death Eaters." Dumbledore picked Harry up and handed him to Hagrid.

"Harry, can you give me your wand so I can keep it safe?" Dumbledore asked Harry. Harry, knowing his aunt and uncle wouldn't allow a wand in their house, gave it to Dumbledore, who left with a pop after saying he had to go to the Ministry to file a report of what had happened. Hagrid carried Harry down the stairs and out and out the front door or the cottage only to find a very upset Sirius. Sirius, as before, demanded Hagrid give Harry to him. Hagrid said he had orders from Dumbledore to take Harry to the Dursleys', resulting in Sirius lending Hagrid his bike. Harry wasn't looking forward to another ten years with his relatives and made it clear that he was not at all happy, by crying until he fell asleep flying over Bristol.

**Chapter End Notes:**

There it is. Chapter 1 of that plot bunny I mentioned in my notes for chapter 24 of "Harry Potter and the Splitting Curse".

I would like to give a big thanks to Darkarma, Kezzabear and starludev for helping me out with this story. The next chapter will be posted soon since I have about 6.9 chapters already written at the time I am submitting this. Some of you probably read the parts I have posted on and on my website. If you have, please don't spoil what happens to those who haven't by mentioning things in reviews. Anyways, reviews please!

Anyways, reviews!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_Dear Petunia,_

_If you are getting this letter, it means that my husband James and I are dead. You are probably wondering why I didn't tell you about the twins (Charlus Henry and Dorea Elanor Potter) the way I told you about Harry. The only people James and I told about the twins were their godfather, Sirius Black, and the goblin who is writing this letter._

_Shortly after Harry was born, Dumbledore told us that a prophecy said Harry could be the child who could kill Voldemort--that dark evil wizard I told you about--once and for all. A prophecy, that when delivered, was overheard by one of Voldemort's henchmen. A month later, one of our neighbors, Bathilda Bagshot, told James and I a strange story about Professor Dumbledore. Apparently long ago he was friends with the wizard that was responsible for Hitler's rise to power, a story Professor Dumbledore's own brother confirmed to us. Apparently Professor Dumbledore believes in doing things for the greater good and doesn't care one bit about who should be sacrificed. This got us worried about Harry. _

_After hearing that story, we were getting concerned that Dumbledore maybe trying to use Harry as a kind of weapon against Voldemort. We do not want him to do that to any of our children- which is why we didn't tell anyone about the twins._

_At the time this letter its being written, James and I are preparing to go into hiding using a spell so that only one person, called a Secret Keeper, will able to tell others where we are hiding. Voldemort has made it clear that he interprets the prophecy to mean Harry. Voldemort and his henchmen are after our son meaning Harry is in grave danger. It may be years before Harry is truly safe from Voldemort and his henchmen because there are so many of them. If James and I are dead, it means that our Secret Keeper was captured and Voldemort and his henchmen have found our hiding place. Because of our lack of trust in Dumbledore, we told him, and everyone else we knew, our Secret Keeper was Sirius Black. However, Sirius is a decoy for Voldemort and his henchmen to chase all over the place. Our real Secret Keeper is Peter Pettigrew. If James and I are dead, everyone is going to think Sirius has defected and he is probably fighting like hell to prove he is innocent. Once his name is cleared, he has said he will pick up the kids from your house. If you feel you have waited long enough for him, post this letter to 147 Krillmeed Road Godric's Hallow, Devon._

_Your sister Lily_

Petunia Dursley read the letter again and thought how the week couldn't get any worse. First she found her dratted sister's son on her doorstep with a letter which said her sister and brother-in-law were dead. Her nephew Harry had every Death Eater looking for him and due to sacrificial magic, would only be safe if he lived with her. The only reason she didn't let Vernon take Harry to a random orphanage was because the magical protection Harry had been given would also keep her and Vernon safe. As part of the agreement, she and her husband decided to keep Harry from becoming a wizard. Now there were two more kids dumped on her which she couldn't get rid of. Vernon was going to be less happy than she was at the moment. She just hoped Vernon wouldn't kick her two nephews and niece out of the house and that Sirius Black would be sent to prison for a long time. She didn't want to take Harry to Sirius and chance him being hidden in yet another secret location and the Death Eaters showing up on her door step 'looking' for any information on Harry's whereabouts.

"WHAT!!!?" Vernon yelled when Petunia informed her husband about the twins and conveniently didn't tell him about Sirius. "Just what we need, more freaks that we can't get rid of! What does your sister's kind think our house is!? A place to dump unwanted children?! If just one more freak child shows up unannounced, Dead Beaters or not, they're all going to the orphanage!"

All Petunia could think was that her sister and brother-in-law had a lot of nerve to die and leave her three freaks, and to figure out how to keep them from doing magic. Her precious little Dudley was taking up enough of her time as it was.

* * *

Dumbledore was in his office. It had been two weeks since James and Lily died and it was now time to check to see if the wards he set up around the Dursleys' home were functioning properly. He had extended the ward area to include the nearest Muggle primary school but if the theories about how blood wards worked were correct, if Petunia did little for Harry other than feed and clothe him while in her care, they would retreat and cover a smaller area. Dumbledore wanted Harry to be happy but most importantly, he wanted Harry to be safe. Harry being both happy and safe would please Dumbledore very much.

Dumbledore's brother knew of the prophecy and kept accusing him of trying to get Neville and Harry's unconditional allegiance. That made him question his motives for being so 'grandfatherly' toward the two boys. In the end he decided his brother was just over-reacting and he genuinely cared about the two boys.

Dumbledore looked at the parchment that was charmed to show the strength of the wards and the area they covered. They not only continued to cover the same area but were stronger than he even thought was possible. They were impenetrable to any meaning harm unless they lived in the area that was covered by them or was someone Dumbledore trusted. He knew it was risky to allow so many people he didn't know to cross the wards freely but he didn't want the Muggles to get suspicious in case the wards malfunctioned and didn't let anyone in regardless of their intentions.

He continued looking at the parchment just thinking about how strong the wards were. They appeared to be strong enough that if there was witch or wizard trying to force their way into them, it would take them more than a day to get through if they continuously kept at it. He figured if someone did attempt to breach the wards they would be caught before any harm could be done as an alarm would go off in his office informing him of the attempt. The only real danger to Harry for the time being were Muggle adults living in the area but he doubted any would harm a child unless under the _Imperious_ but the alarms would go off if anyone not acting on their own free will was in the area. Dumbledore ultimately decided not to inform his friend Arabella Figg who lived in the area that Harry was living nearby and ask if she could keep an eye out for any suspicious people that could be Death Eaters.

"Fawkes, it appears everything is working fine, better than fine in fact. I just hope my decision not to ask Arabella to keep an eye out for trouble doesn't lead to an uncontrollable disaster." Dumbledore was pleased as he said this to the phoenix that had taken a liking to him.

* * *

Harry felt things were not going right in the few months he had been with the Dursleys again. His aunt and uncle seemed more uncaring than he remembered. He, his brother and sister where fed only when Petunia felt like feeding them. Many messy nappies were not being changed quickly enough which distressed him greatly.

'Why can't they just love us?' Harry thought to himself about how he, his brother Charlus and sister Dorea were being treated while their cousin Dudley was being spoiled rotten like before. He hoped things didn't get any worse.

'But if I don't like it here, wouldn't the wards be too weak to keep me safe? If they are too weak, than why hasn't anyone rescued us?' Harry wondered. 'Maybe Dumbledore is too afraid of me becoming like Dudley if I leave... I want to get out of here!'

* * *

By the time Harry was five, he called his brother and sister Charlie and Rhea, which had been easier for him to say as he learned to talk again. He loved his brother and sister and figured that is why nobody had come to the rescue. The love he, his brother, and sister shared was keeping the wards strong. It also disturbed Harry that his aunt and uncle did not ever leave the three of them at Mrs. Figg's place. She may have been weird and obsessed with cats but she would know that Harry hated Petunia and Vernon and might tell Dumbledore about it... and probably would have mentioned Charlie and Rhea to Dumbledore as well. Harry was sure that, even if Dumbledore was worried about how Harry might be like Dudley, the Headmaster wouldn't let the twins be hurt for it.

A few days ago he didn't know how much longer the three of them would be able to fit in the cupboard under the stairs. It was getting too crowded but while frustrated over the lack of space, Harry accidentally made it large enough for them to continue to use it at least until he could start Hogwarts. Petunia and Vernon didn't like the accidental modification to the cupboard but didn't punish them because they didn't know where else to put three unwanted kids without taking away their precious Dudley's second bedroom or getting rid of the guest bedroom upstairs even though nobody had used it since Aunt Marge's visit a couple years earlier. Harry was scared what would happen if he had another bout of accidental magic.

Harry, Charlie and Rhea were currently on the living room floor playing with Dudley's discarded and broken toys. He didn't know about Charlie and Rhea but he was hungry. He kept quiet because if he spoke up about it, all three of them would be locked into the cupboard for complaining.

Just than, a tin of biscuits floated and landed on the floor where Harry, Charlie, and Rhea could all get at it.

"FOOD!" Rhea shouted as Harry opened the tin, not wanting to pass up the opportunity to eat something regardless of the consequences.

"VERNON! THE FREAKS USED THEIR FREAKY POWERS TO STEAL FOOD FROM DUDDERS!" Petunia yelled from another room. Harry quickly ate a biscuit after giving some to Charlie and Rhea not knowing if he would be able to finish it. Vernon came into the room looking angrier than Harry could ever remember seeing him.

"YOU UNGRATEFUL STEALING FREAKS!" Vernon yelled as he grabbed Harry and sat down on the couch with Harry face down across his lap. Harry had a bad feeling of what was going to happen next. Vernon hit Harry on the bottom really hard. What Harry feared had come true. Things had taken a turn for the worse. Harry screamed.

* * *

Things were unfolding more or less how Ginny remembered it. She didn't remember Fred and George getting mad at Percy and accidentally turning him into a bright red lizard for telling their mother they'd put bugs in Ron's bed. The only accidental transfiguration one of her twin brothers caused that she remembered was them turning Ron's teddy bear into a spider the twice the size of a dinner plate. Since that happened, she figured that Percy spending some time as a lizard also happened but she forgot about it since she never really cared about Percy.

Ginny was too scared of the consequences of changing the one thing that she was so tempted to do: expose Percy's pet rat as Peter Pettigrew in disguise. The only reason she didn't want to do it was because of Harry.

Pettigrew was an important part of Voldemort's return in June 1995. He was the one who used Harry's blood to return Voldemort to a proper body. Using that blood allowed Harry to survive being hit by the killing curse for the second time. She just couldn't live with herself if she prevented that from happening. She knew Harry had a rotten childhood growing up with the Dursleys but changing that was not worth Harry committing suicide just so Voldemort would be able to die. She loved Harry and would never let him kill himself.

Ginny took another bite of her bacon sandwich while her father read the Daily Prophet. The date of 31 July 1986 was clearly visible on the back of the newspaper. Knowing it was Harry's birthday once again and that his aunt and uncle wouldn't even acknowledge it upset Ginny. Everyone at least deserved to be told "Happy Birthday" on their birthday.

"This has to be one of the biggest breaches of Ministry security since the war..." Arthur muttered.

"What is going on?" Molly asked.

"Someone wrote an article about Harry Potter and a prophecy stored in the Department of Mysteries. Everyone knows one of the things Unspeakables study are prophecies but policy is that they never talk about any of their work," Arthur replied.

"What's this about Harry Potter and a prophecy?" Ginny's brother Bill asked.

"This article says that there's a prophecy about Harry Potter and You-Know-Who that may, or may not, have been fulfilled. The prophecy could be interpreted as Harry Potter being the next dark wizard," Arthur replied, a little disturbed.

"But he got rid of You-Know-Who. How bad can he be?" Charlie asked.

"Grindelwald killed another dark wizard, Igor the Foul if I recall, about ten years before he took over Germany. The enemy of your enemy is not always your friend," Arthur replied making everyone at the table nervous. Ginny never remembered a conversation at the breakfast table like the one that was happening now. Was it something she forgot had happened? Or was there another time traveler? Or had the prophecy been overheard by someone other than Severus Snape? For the time being, she decided to just let it be.

* * *

Dumbledore looked over the article again for any clue as to who wrote it. It was unusual, but not unheard of, for the Daily Prophet not to reveal who wrote an article. He ruled out his brother and Severus as to having something to do with the article earlier that morning after asking them about it. 'Could there have been another person who overheard the prophecy?' Dumbledore wondered. He wanted to find out who wrote the article and how they heard about the prophecy.

Though the article made him wonder about something else at the same time. Would Harry be the next dark wizard to terrorize the Wizarding World? He didn't want to believe it but the article raised some valid points. Prophecies could be interpreted in many different ways and there was no know way what the correct interpretation was until it was fulfilled. That and there was nothing in the prophecy that said Harry wasn't going to go down the same path as Voldemort. He got up from his desk and went to the ward monitors.

'The wards are just as strong as they ever were... That could be if he feels loved and welcomed...' Dumbledore thought to himself. 'Did I make the right choice by not asking Arabella to keep an eye out in the area? The wards are too strong for even the Ministry to see what kind of magic is going on in the area...'

He concluded it was too soon to tell if Harry was going dark. He decided to wait until Harry was eleven and see who the boy's friends were and what his interests were. He didn't want to interfere with Harry's personal life unless there was a valid reason. Dumbledore just knew James and Lily wouldn't forgive him if he stood by and allowed Harry to go dark.

* * *

Being six years old again, Harry felt so frustrated as he was sitting in the cupboard, with Rhea and Charlie taking a nap to his left, where he could protect them should Vernon open the cupboard and punish them for something that wasn't even their fault. He was still a little sore from when Vernon accused him of an outbreak of the common cold at Vernon's company that made drills.

Two years earlier, the abuse the three Potters suffered had turned physical. A year ago, the Muggles took notice, something they never did the first time around. They simply accepted the stories the Dursleys had given about how Harry was a problem child and Dudley was perfect. Now, they saw the Dursleys for what they were: lying child abusers.

Not only that, but the Muggle authorities got involved. Unfortunately, every "rescue attempt" was a blunder. The authorities, wishing bad things to happen to the Dursleys, simply could not get past the wards. Their cars would break down. They would break their legs and/or arms. In one case, the people who had been sent completely forgot why they were in the area. It was getting the Muggles in the area wondering what exactly was going on, and such a breach of the Statute of Secrecy. Harry wondered why the Ministry wasn't getting involved.

What really got Harry mad was what happened just a week before school ended. As part of a plan to rescue the three Potter kids, they were kept at school when all the other students left. Harry was convinced that they would escape the Dursleys forever. The plan was working up until Social Services, to the horror of the entire neighborhood, stated there was no child abuse going on. Harry was half convinced Minister Fudge was running Muggle Social Services after that.

Harry considered running away with his brother and sister, but they didn't have any money and if the Muggles found them first, they were sure to be sent right back to the Dursleys due to the stupid Social Services and their infuriating claims that no child abuse was going on. Even if the wards collapsed, there was absolutely no guarantee that anyone from the Wizarding World would get to them before they had face the Dursleys' wrath for running away. Harry learned from Dumbledore's portrait that he had a tracking charm on him that was tied to the wards so his location could be only known to someone in Dumbledore's office. As long as the wards were up, Dumbledore would be able to locate Harry should Harry need immediate medical attention, was kidnapped, or simply got lost. If the wards collapsed, Dumbledore wouldn't be able to find Harry.

Harry had considered going to Mrs. Figg, knowing she lived in the area for some time before the Dursleys moved to 4 Privet Drive. Unfortunately, Mrs. Figg had moved away a few days earlier. According to the neighbors, people weren't buying her cats like they used to and she had had problems paying her bills. Harry realized that in the old timeline, a few months earlier, Mrs. Figg started babysitting him. Without her babysitting him, she apparently couldn't make ends meet making Harry wonder how much money the Dursleys had paid her.

Harry just wished he had enough control over his magic to at least make a Portkey. At the moment, he was lucky any magic he deliberately did in private behaved the way it was supposed to.

'Why does trouble always find me?' Harry wondered as he felt a tear go down his cheek.

**Chapter End Notes:**

Harry's in a mess. Dealing with Dursleys that are worse than he remembers is getting to him. As for who wrote that article mentioned in this chapter, you'll get to see it later on in the story and find out who wrote it. Those who I've told, please don't tell anyone! As for what is up with Social Services, you'll learn why they are acting the way they are later.

Also, I like to thank Kezzabear for looking over this chapter for me.

Anyways, reviews!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Get the mail Harry!" Vernon snapped. He was still bitter over losing an important contract over a 'nasty untrue rumor' that he and his wife were abusing his niece and two nephews a week earlier. Harry was glad there was people out there that punished his abusive uncle for what went on inside of 4 Privet Drive. At least there was someone out there listening that could do _something_.

It was now July of 1991. Harry would be turning eleven again at the end of the month. He didn't remember when his first letter from Hogwarts would arrive. He knew it would be soon but he didn't care. His brother and sister needed him at 4 Privet Drive. Knowing what he knew now about how the Philosopher's Stone was or rather would be kept safe at Hogwarts, he realized that he didn't need to be there to make sure Voldemort didn't steal it. He was hoping he could go next year so he could be with his brother and sister.

Harry went to the front door and picked up the pile of mail. Harry saw his Hogwarts letter in it and quickly hid it. He hoped that by him reading it, the hundreds of letters wouldn't be sent to the house driving Vernon to the point of insanity; well, more insane anyway.

"Hurry up boy! You don't need to check for bombs!" Vernon shouted from the kitchen. Harry quickly picked up the rest of the mail, brought it to the kitchen and set it on the table before sitting down to try and finish his breakfast before Dudley started complaining about wanting more food. Petunia, rather than going into the kitchen and finding Dudley something to eat, would take stuff off either Charlie', Rhea', or his plate, which only contained enough food so that they wouldn't starve to death.

Harry knew it must have been less than what he had the first time around. The fact he was a good few centimeters shorter proved it.

* * *

Harry, Charlie, and Rhea were in their cupboard that evening. The Dursleys had gone to bed a short time ago. Harry decided now would be a good time to read his letter. Harry opened the letter. In the light from a small jar Harry had filled each night for the past few years with blue flames. Harry read the letter just to see if it was different. It was the same as the one Hagrid gave him in the original timeline except it also contained a ticket for the Hogwarts Express.

"Harry, what are reading?" Charlie whispered.

"A letter I got in the mail today. It's from a school called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," Harry explained.

"Do they want you to go?" Rhea asked.

"Yes," Harry replied.

"You should go if isn't some kind of joke. I mean, magic is real. We can't be the only three that can do real magic out there," Charlie said. Harry had been secretly teaching his brother and sister some basic wandless magic as soon as they started having accidental magic. Harry found it difficult teaching himself wandless magic as a person who already been to Hogwarts. It was also frustrating that he couldn't do anything other than first and some second year spells without feeling drained for at least an hour afterwards. Harry figured learning wandless magic would be harder for his brother and sister but they had just as much trouble as he did.

"I don't want to leave you two here with them," Harry answered, referring to the Dursleys. He knew by staying at 4 Privet Drive meant he would be sacrificing any hope of having the same friends he had the first time around but if it meant his brother and sister being safe, it was worth it.

"Please go! You can learn more magic and show us. Rhea and I will be alright," Charlie pleaded, not wanting his brother to pass up this opportunity.

Harry thought for a moment. Could he leave his brother and sister alone with the Dursleys for a whole year? He couldn't. If he was to go like Charlie said he should, he'd have to do something to get his brother and sister away from the Dursleys. He didn't know for sure but the only 'grown-p' that knew about his brother and sister was Sirius, who was in Azkaban. Maybe if he replied, Dumbledore would send someone over and they would see how things really were in 4 Privet Drive and they would all be rescued. Harry couldn't believe he didn't think of that earlier.

"Okay." Harry replied. With a quick Alohamora, Harry was out of the cupboard. It was a good thing that the basic locking charm he learned in first year could be undone by a Muggle otherwise he and his siblings would be in big trouble for causing another 'freaky thing' to happen.

After getting a pencil and paper, Harry quickly wrote a brief message saying he was going. He left out any mention of his brother and sister figuring Dumbledore and the others would know about them hopefully in the next day or so. Harry folded the paper up and went outside as quietly as he could, hoping he could find an owl to give the letter to. It didn't take long to find one. One apparently had been waiting all day on top of a street light and flew to him a few seconds after going outside.

"You've been waiting all day for me to give you a reply?" Harry asked the owl who had landed at his feet. After the owl nodded, clearly annoyed, Harry gave it the letter and it took off and headed in the direction of Hogwarts.

* * *

It was now the evening two days after Harry's 11th birthday. All the residents of 4 Privet Drive except Vernon and Harry were confused by Petunia having to be the only one allowed to bring the mail to the table in the morning. It was obvious to Harry that Petunia was hoping to intercept a letter from Hogwarts.

Harry, Charlie, and Rhea just finished weeding the back garden and where heading into the house as they heard Petunia and Vernon talking.

"Not one letter Vernon! Not a single letter from that freakish school! I just don't understand it Vernon!" Petunia complained to Vernon.

"They're freaks, all three of them! They've done plenty of freaky things! Harry has to get a letter from that school! That crack pot said Harry will get one! Keep checking the mail until you find it! There's no way I'm paying for all three of them to learn magic tricks!" Vernon ranted.

"I know! It's obvious they're like my sister! My sister got her first letter from Hogwarts around this time of year..." Petunia continued to complain before being interrupted.

"Harry got a letter days ago. He already sent a letter back to Hogwarts saying he's going." Rhea interrupted, causing Petunia and Vernon to turn around with horror and Harry wanted to sink into the floor. He had forgotten to tell Rhea and Charlie to not tell the Dursleys anything about Hogwarts.

"YOU WHAT!!!???" Vernon yelled, his face turning purple with anger.

"I told them I was going," Harry replied in a small voice, frightened.

"WE'RE YOUR LEGAL GUARDIANS BOY! WE DECIDE WHAT SCHOOL YOU GO TO NOT YOU! WE DECIDED TO SEND THE THREE OF YOU TO REFORM SCHOOLS! WRITE A LETTER SAYING YOU CHANGED YOUR MIND! NOW!" Vernon yelled.

"Vernon! We don't have a way of sending a letter to school! We need an owl! The owl only stays around until a reply is sent!" Petunia tried to reason with Vernon, which only made him angrier.

"FINE! YOU CAN GO! BUT I'M NOT PAYING FOR ANYTHING! THAT INCLUDES THE PETROL FOR THE CAR TO GO TO LONDON!" Vernon yelled. Harry was now worried because it had been over a week since he sent his reply to Hogwarts and nobody came to take him to Diagon Alley. Harry suddenly realized that Dumbledore and/or McGonagall must think that because Harry's mother was a witch, Petunia would know how to get to Diagon Alley. Harry knew he would have to go himself using Muggle transit. He didn't know where he was going to get the money though...

* * *

It was August 31st. The Dursleys were in bed. Harry had found nowhere near the amount of money necessary to go to London using Muggle transit. He was scared. He didn't have any of his school supplies and he had to leave in the morning. As he looked around to see if there was any change that the Dursleys forgot to hide, Harry thought of something.

"The couch..." Harry muttered to himself. He went to the couch and found under the furthest right cushion the exact amount for a one way trip. It was too good to be true but Harry didn't care. He was just glad he found it.

* * *

Harry was walking down the street the morning of Sept. 1st to the nearest train station to go to London. The Dursleys were too busy arguing over what color of tie would look best on Vernon for an important meeting Vernon had that day to notice that Harry had left. Only his brother and sister knew he had left. He hoped they would be alright until help could arrive.

As Harry was walking by a hedge that ran next to the sidewalk, he saw something on the ground. Thinking it was some money, he picked it up. It was a ring. There was something familiar about the ring. Harry thought about his life in the other timeline and how he was married to Ginny. He had put the ring on his finger a second before he realized what ring it was when he looked at stone in the ring more closely. It was the Resurrection Stone: the odd triangle symbol associated with the Deathly Hallows and Grindenwald was visible.

Panicked, he quickly took the ring off his finger before he recalled that Dumbledore's portrait said the curse affected Dumbledore the moment the elderly headmaster had started to put it on his finger. Harry was now confused. 'Is this same ring Dumbledore found in the shack the Gaunts lived in?' Harry wondered. 'If it is, what is it doing here? And why wasn't I cursed? Is it even a horcrux?'

Harry decided to put the ring in his pocket and examine it more closely at Hogwarts.

* * *

Professor Severus Snape was walking down the corridor heading for Dumbledore's office. Someone had taken all the garlic from the potions supply cabinet again and Severus strongly suspected Professor Quirrell who had recently developed a ridiculous phobia about vampires fallowing him. Severus just hoped Dumbledore would convince the man that there was enough garlic in every place Quirrell would be spending long periods of time during the school year to make sure no vampire would come with in a thousand kilometers of Hogwarts.

Severus was walking by the enormous and ridiculous looking tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy attempting to train trolls for the ballet thinking about the out-of-control garlic situation when he bumped into the Divination teacher Professor Sybil Trelawney, who hadn't been there a few moments ago. Before Severus could say anything, Trelawney spoke in a voice that had haunted Severus for years.

"Confused and frightened by what the future may hold, the Heir of Peverell approaches... The stone that was his ancestor's brother's is now in its rightful owner's possession is coming... Tonight, when the train stops, the promise the Hogwarts Four made to Peverell shall be kept…" Trelawney said in a voice that all seers use when they unconsciously deliver a prophecy. Severus, a little spooked, and quickening his pace, didn't reply when Trelawney apologized for bumping into him.

In a couple of minutes, he was in Dumbledore's office.

"Severus, is everything alright?" Dumbledore asked as soon Severus was through the door. "You look a bit disturbed."

"The elusive divination teacher bumped into me on the way here and delivered another prophecy..." Severus grumbled. "I don't know how she managed to sneak up on me like that. One second nobody else in the corridor with me and next thing I know, she collides into me and delivered some prophecy about Peverell, the Hogwarts four, a stone, an heir, and some promise being kept tonight when a train stops."

"Curious. If you don't mind, may I view a memory of this prophecy?" Dumbledore asked. Severus gladly gave Dumbledore a copy of it, and the Headmaster immediately went to watch the memory in his Pensieve. Severus, as he watched the image of Trelawney deliver the prophecy, thought about what it could possibly mean. By Dumbledore's reaction to the full prophecy, Severus concluded it made a lot more sense to the headmaster than to him.

"Heir of Peverell... Harry..." Dumbledore muttered.

"Pardon?" Severus asked, curious.

"The Heir of Peverell is Harry Potter. But if the stone mentioned is the one I am certain it is, then I would like to know how he found it since it has been missing for centuries. The last confirmed sighting of it was in 1453," Dumbledore explained, only getting Severus more curious.

"What stone would that be?"

"The Resurrection Stone; allegedly it comes very close to bringing back the dead. It's mentioned in 'The Tale of the Three Brothers'."

Severus thought Dumbledore had lost it suggesting Harry Potter had something that only existed in wizard fairy tales but Severus knew all myths tend to have a basis in fact and decided to keep an open mind about The Resurrection Stone.

"But I am mystified as to what it meant by a promise the Hogwarts Four made to Peverell..." Dumbledore continued, trailing off into thought.

"Albus, you mean to say that Mufrid has yet to find anything written about it?" A portrait of wizard wearing a solid red robe asked. Severus didn't like the fact that all the portraits of former headmasters and headmistresses only pretended to be asleep. There must have been a conversation in Dumbledore's office that some portrait must have overheard as the one who just spoke demonstrated by mentioning something the Ancient Runes Professor Mufrid Lemeraude must have said to Dumbledore about translating ancient texts written around the time Hogwarts was founded. The idea of the portraits talking so freely about other people made Severus nervous; what if they told things about him to others just as easily?

"Sadly, Godric, he hasn't. The only references to a Peverell in the texts he found stashed away in an unused classroom are of an Ignotus Peverell and all it mentioned was that you hired him two years after the school opened its doors to students and he taught for seven years until he died." Dumbledore answered.

"That was all that was mentioned of my friend Ignotus? Never mentioned the fact we allowed him to start his own 'house' here at Hogwarts? A house that he requested to be disbanded on his death bed?" the portrait who Severus assumed was of Godric Gryffindor asked. Severus was stunned to learn that there had once been five Houses at Hogwarts. If he had heard it from anyone else, he would have thought it was an extremely bad joke.

"That is news to me, Godric. But what exactly is the promise you and the others made to him?" Dumbledore asked.

"That the House would be revived when a first year student—his true heir—has made all three of the Deathly Hallows be here at Hogwarts at the same time. Salazar and I spent a week casting the appropriate charms and wards to make sure that Ignotus' final wish would come true sometime in the future. As soon the conditions are met, Peverell House will become part of the school again. The doors for it will appear. The Sorting Hat will sort any new students it feels belong in Peverell House into it. Even a table and seats will be conjured in the Great Hall for Peverell House," the portrait went on explaining where the House's entrance was and even suggesting that Dumbledore ask if any of his teachers would mind a re-Sorting so that the new House would have a Head.

Severus felt sorry for Dumbledore, though he was also curious as to how the headmaster was going to explain all of this to the school's board of governors. He was also hoping Lucius Malfoy wouldn't try to 'convince' the board of governors to sack Dumbledore first for making changes to the school that he had no authority to make.

The Head of Slytherin and Potions Master of Hogwarts repressed the urge to sigh. Interesting times were coming to Hogwarts, that much he was certain of.

**Chapter End Notes:**

The Resurrection Stone turning up in Little Whining? Now that is something I'm sure none of you saw coming let alone the stuff about Peverell House.

Also, Mufrid Lemeraude is an assumed identity for a canon character. I got it from my friend Mrs. Sniffy. Anyone who has read her stories should know who this Mufrid Lemeraude really is—if not, then you'll have to keep reading and see.

Another thing, one of my betas has disappeared from the face of the Earth. Its been weeks since I've heard from her and I hope nothing bad has happened... If anyone would like to volunteer to help beta this story, please contact me.

Also, check out my sci-fi/fantasy forum at http : / / www . fedtrek . com / Forums-fi-44-f-44 . html (remove the spaces in the URL or you'll get a nice page not found error.)

Anyways, reviews!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Author's Notes:**

This chapter contains some text from Harry Potter and the Philosphere's Stone

* * *

Harry arrived at King's Cross just in time to see the Weasleys go through the barrier to get to Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. Harry went through the barrier and once through, saw the bright red steam engine. After boarding the Hogwarts Express, found an empty compartment and sat down, hoping Ron would join him soon. It felt so odd to be on the train again. The last time he rode the train was in the old timeline and the end of sixth year after Dumbledore's funeral.

What was odder than being on the Hogwarts Express was seeing Ron as an elven year old again. The last time Harry saw him, Ron was a twenty-five year old auror that just finished his training due to him entering the Auror academy a few years after Harry. After Voldemort's defeat, Ron had helped George out with running Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes for a bit, until enough assistants were found.

"Can I sit here? Everywhere else is full..." Ron said standing in the doorway to the compartment.

"Sure, go ahead," Harry replied, glad to see one of his old friends. In all the years in this new timeline, he never had seen anyone from the Wizarding World. If he did, they blended into the crowds of Muggles very well.

"I'm Ron Weasley by the way. You are?" Ron asked.

"Harry Potter."

Ron's reaction wasn't the same as Harry remembered. Ron seemed to get rather nervous and remained oddly silent for a few minutes. Harry couldn't figure out what could have possibly have caused Ron to be so uncomfortable around Harry. Asking Molly how to get onto the platform shouldn't have to have been so vital to Ron's behavior around Harry on the train. It didn't make any sense. Harry thought through everything that had happen thus far in the timeline and couldn't think of anything that could logically explain this change in Ron. Still, if Harry played his cards right, he could still be Ron's friend.

"Are you OK, Ron?" Harry asked, not being able to stand the silence any longer.

"Yeah. Just I didn't think I'll be in a compartment with you, you being the Boy-Who-Lived and all that," Ron explained. It was then Harry realized that since he had no contact from the Wizarding World, he wasn't supposed to know he was the Boy-Who-Lived and everything related to that. Harry didn't want to be caught as a time traveler, even if it was an accidental one; with so many Death Eaters that had the Ministry's ear, any knowledge of the future falling into their hands would be disastrous. Harry had to pretend to be ignorant of everything related to the Wizarding World except for Hogwarts.

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, doing his best to pretend to be confused.

"Did Fred and George put you up to this?" a shocked Ron asked. "You're the Boy-Who-Lived!"

"Who are Fred and George?" Harry questioned, tilting his head. "What do you mean, the Boy-Who-Lived?"

"You're Harry Potter! How can you not know about being the Boy-Who-Lived!? And please don't say you don't know who You-Know-Who is..." Ron half shouted.

"I really don't know," Harry kept his act up, trying not to raise his voice or shout in frustration, because he knew about Ron's temper. "But maybe you could explain it to me?"

Ron, apparently frustrated or convinced it was all a joke, got up and left the compartment without another word, making Harry sigh and look out the window. "Well, _that_ went smoothly," he muttered to himself bitterly as he wondered if he would have the same friends this time around.

The Weasleys had been the closest thing to a family Harry had ever had and he just somehow managed to alienate Ron. Harry thought of other ways he could be friends with Ron, but none of them had any chance of working if Ron refused to even tell him the time of day. Harry just hoped he would have more luck with Hermione.

* * *

Professor Minerva McGonagall more or less barged into Dumbledore's office unannounced as Dumbledore was talking with the Ancient Runes professor about Peverell House.  
"Albus! What in Merlin's name is going on!? There are _five_ tables for students in the Great Hall! Not only that, but five hourglasses to keep track of points!" McGonagall panicked. "If Hagrid wasn't getting the students at the train station right now, I would say Fred and George Weasley have gone too far this time!"

Professor Dumbledore paled somewhat.

"Well, I guess that answers the question if this is real or not, doesn't it?" the Ancient Runes teacher said, unable to hide a bit of amusement from his voice.

"I told you it was! Seems like hardly anyone listens to us portraits anymore," Gryffindor's portrait complained.

"Well, we'll be sure to listen more often. Perhaps you could tell us where the Chamber of Secrets is?" the Ancient Runes teacher replied as Dumbledore got up out of his chair to go investigate the latest development.

"Salazar never told me anything specific. Just told me to look for tiny snakes..." Gryffindor replied, trailing off, his face seeming as if he were thinking quite hard indeed.

"Anyway, Minerva, we have a rather odd situation caused by a thousand year enchantment being accidentally activated. It's causing the school to think there are five houses instead of four. I do not know what to do about this situation. I suggest for the time being go along with this odd change. If any student gets sorted into some house that doesn't exist—"

"Peverell house _does_ exist," Gryffindor protested.

Dumbledore continued speaking as if uninterrupted, "—send them to the new table. I'm planning on having a meeting with the board of governors tomorrow about the current situation and hopefully we'll come up with a solution."

"There _is_ no solution to come up with!" Gryffindor said as McGonagall and Dumbledore left the office. He looked at the Ancient Runes teacher who looked back at him. "Why don't they just listen?"

"... Some people have to experience reality for themselves, no matter how harsh it may be," the teacher replied softly, and Gryffindor knew he was speaking from experience. "But I'm sure things will work out fine. Ignotus Peverell was allegedly the wisest of the three brothers in the old tale, I'm sure he thought of ways to make sure his house would remain safe."

* * *

Harry got out of the train. His encounter with Hermione on the train played out like how it was the first time around minus Ron. Hermione was too busy helping Neville look for Trevor to explain the Boy-Who-Lived stuff to him making Harry wonder if Hagrid was meant to be the one to explain it to him.

Draco Malfoy showing up and asking for Harry's hand in friendship was rather interesting. Draco said something about helping him fulfill his destiny. Harry was taken a bit back by it but told Draco he would consider it, hoping that would avoid a fight. It had, which had been a relief; a three-on-one fight didn't seem pleasant, especially without his wand.

Harry was getting more nervous by the second. He didn't have anything with him as he more or less ran away from home. He just hoped he wouldn't be in trouble for that.

"Fir - Why aren't yeh wearin' your school robes?" Hagrid's familiar voice asked rather loudly. Being about twice as tall as the average sized adult, Hagrid could probably see Harry was just wearing some baggy hand-me-down Muggle clothes from Dudley from a distance. Harry turned to where Hagrid's voice came from. Hagrid was practically right next to him.

"My aunt and uncle couldn't take me to Diagon Alley," Harry lied.

"Well, we'll be seeing Professor McGonagall shortly. She'll conjure some up yeh can use until yeh can get some," Hagrid replied. Knowing how stern and assuming McGonagall was, Harry hoped she would believe him. In the old timeline, she didn't believe him about someone wanting to steal the philosopher's stone. He had no reason to think she would believe him about his aunt and uncle not wanting him to go to Hogwarts, let alone not taking him to Diagon Alley.

"First years! Come with me!" Hagrid shouted.

* * *

The boat ride was nice even if Neville and Hermione asked why he wasn't wearing school robes. Now, Harry was inside the castle, walking up some steps. Hagrid had Harry stay close to him so McGonagall wouldn't have to call out his name to everyone. He could see Professor McGonagall in her emerald green robe standing at the top of the stairs. Harry went from being nervous to being scared at the sight of her. Once they reached the top, Hagrid bent over and whispered something to McGonagall who seemed rather surprised at seeing Harry with no school robes.

"Thank you Hagrid. I'll take over. Will please excuse us for a moment?" McGonagall asked the first year students and pulling Harry off to some room out of sight of the other students and closed the door, causing Harry to get even more afraid.

"I'm correct in assuming you're Harry Potter?" McGonagall asked sternly, to which Harry mutely nodded. "Can you explain why your aunt and uncle couldn't take you to Diagon Alley?"  
Harry, now petrified, thought for a few seconds before answering. His thoughts became panicked—he was just a runaway, and nothing he said could change that. He had done so many things wrong, and so many things had changed in the timeline already... What if she didn't believe him and sent him back, not wanting a liar as a student? Harry remembered when he had been fifteen, how the Ministry had tried to ruin his name—he knew that people in authority didn't always see what was right in front of their faces.

"My aunt and uncle, they..." Harry managed to before he got too scared to say anymore. Planning things out seemed so much easier than doing them all of a sudden for Harry. McGonagall seemed to see Harry was scared.

"Calm down and try again," McGonagall said, though Harry couldn't get a hold of himself. The fear of not being believed and/or being punished was getting more than he could handle. He feared if he was sent home, his aunt and uncle would kill him for making it this far. Harry than realized Charlie and Rhea could be in danger, assuming they weren't already dead for supposedly helping Harry escape.

"They hate magic, they didn't want me to go to Hogwarts, I... I ran away..." Harry started to cry. "Please don't send me back, they'll kill me, I don't want to die!"

* * *

McGonagall knew the small frightened boy in baggy clothes had to be Harry Potter he looked so much like James Potter as a child that it was impossible for him to be anyone else. On that night Dumbledore left Harry on the Dursley's doorsteps, never did she imagine the next time she saw him, he would be terrified for his life. There was no way the boy was faking it. The baggy clothes, significantly shorter than others his age—combine those with the fact Harry was terrified of going back and he said he ran away meant only one thing: child abuse.

It didn't make any sense because Dumbledore had said the wards were strong, indicating Harry felt loved. She didn't want to believe Dumbledore would blatantly lie to everyone. From what she understood about how the wards work, Harry needed to feel love from one of Lily's blood relatives—except there _was _someone else. Harry had a cousin. If Harry's cousin loved Harry, it would still make the wards strong, even if Harry was being abused by the adults in the house. She needed to speak with Dumbledore immediately. Before, she had thought that Harry's aunt and uncle were the worst sort of people imaginable. Now she had proof other than her words and eyes.

"Harry, everything is going to be alright. I'll make arrangements for you to go to Diagon Alley and get everything you need," McGonagall reassured Harry, giving him a handkerchief from her pocket. "Here Harry. Its going to be all right."

Harry took the handkerchief and wiped the tears on his face. McGonagall took out a spare one she had and transfigured it into school robes.

"Harry, here are some robes you can use for today and tomorrow. They'll turn back into a handkerchief after that. I'll take you back to the other students and then I'll talk with Professor Dumbledore about going to Diagon Alley," McGonagall said to a calmer Harry.

Harry took the robes and put them on over the baggy clothes he was wearing. McGonagall just couldn't believe Harry's aunt and uncle would let him wear something that obviously didn't fit him. If all his regular clothes were like that, she decided if Harry didn't get any different ones the next day, she would buy him some herself.

McGonagall escorted Harry back to the rest of the first-years, who were whispering about Harry not having any school robes and being pulled aside. They fell silent when the two returned.

"In few minutes, you'll walk through these doors and be sorted into your houses," McGonagall stated, gesturing to the large doors that lead into the Great Hall. "While you are at Hogwarts, your house is like your family. Any good behavior will earn your house points. Any rule breaking will lose points. The house at the end of the school year with the most points will be awarded the House Cup. Now, if you'll excuse me while I get things ready."

Normally she would be telling the truth but when she had been in Dumbledore's office earlier that evening, due to that extra table and hour glass appearing in the Great Hall, she had decided to save herself a trip back there by taking the Sorting Hat with her back to the Great Hall. This time, however, she was leaving to inform Dumbledore about what she had learned about Harry.

McGonagall walked through the Great Hall's doors and hurried down the aisle in between the new table and the Hufflepuff table toward the staff table.

"Is everything all right Minerva?" Dumbledore asked, confused as soon as McGonagall was within normal voice range of the staff situation.

"No. We have a bad situation. Harry Potter showed up and didn't have any school robes. His aunt and uncle apparently not only didn't take him to get his school supplies but didn't want him to come to Hogwarts altogether. He was terrified that we would send him back home. Albus, I know you said the wards show Harry feels loved but I think he's been abused and that the feelings he and his cousin have for each other may have misled us," McGonagall whispered. She was upset over the possibility of Harry being abused. It may have been Dumbledore's idea to leave Harry with his aunt and uncle, but ultimately it was Harry's aunt and uncle's fault for abusing the poor boy.

Dumbledore looked at her in the eyes. The blue twinkle was completely absent from his eyes and expression of shock took over his face, quickly replaced by a fury that few people had seen.

"Severus, come with me. I'm going to pay the Dursleys a visit and I may need someone to restrain me from doing something I might regret," Dumbledore said to the Potions Professor.

"Yes, sir_ restrain_ you from acting. Of _course_ I'll do that," Snape replied, standing up and following Dumbledore through the staff entrance. McGonagall watched the two for a second before turning to bring in the first years, hoping that Harry would never have to go back to the Dursleys' again.

* * *

Harry waited with the other first years out side the doors to the Great Hall. After what seemed like an eternity, McGonagall was back telling them they were ready. Immediately upon entering the Great Hall, Harry knew something was wrong. There was an empty table in between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables. Harry apparently wasn't the only one wondering what the new table was for. All of the students were whispering something about it and about what could have caused both the Headmaster and Potions Professor to leave.

Harry looked at the front of the hall and saw that both Dumbledore and Severus were gone. He wondered why they weren't in the hall. When they reached the front of the hall, the Sorting Hat, which was sitting on a stool, sprang to life and started to sing.  
"A thousand years Peverell has been forgotten,  
waiting for the heir,  
the heir of Ignotus,  
for only the heir with the three Hallows,  
would remind Hogwarts of her last House.  
Brave and noble Gryffindor sought help,  
the other three agreed,  
so the wise Peverell joined the team,  
and four became five.  
Years passed with the five united,  
until the house died with its Founder,  
but Peverell promised to return,  
when the Hallows,  
those Deathly Hallows of legend and shadows,  
would number three in the sanctuary of Hogwarts,  
the three in the hands of the proper heir.  
And now the heir has returned,  
the Deathly Hallows are in reach,  
and Peverell House can once again be seen."

The Sorting Hat sung nervously, as if it didn't practice the song enough times, causing everyone to exchange whispers about what was going on. McGonagall looked a little surprised and nervous. Harry, on the other hand, was sure that hat was referring to him since he had the Resurrection Stone in his pocket.

"Uh..." the Sorting Hat continued as if it was thinking. "Oh yes!" Then it started singing a lot more confidently:  
"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
A smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black,  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
And I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
The Sorting Hat can't see  
So try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be.  
You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in Peverell,  
Where the overshadowed and talented,  
Get the special attention they need,  
And will always stand united,  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
If you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folk use any means  
To achieve their ends.  
So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (though I have none)  
For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

After the hat was finished, everyone gave a nervous applause, not really sure what to make about the information regarding Peverell House. Harry felt if this were some sort of sick joke; he had really managed to mess up the timeline—the changes had already been worrying him, but now he was downright scared.

"I know this news about Peverell House is confusing, and I assure you this was something that staff didn't know would happen until earlier today. We only have a vague idea of what has caused this. Professor Dumbledore has given instructions to go along with it for the time being. We are assuming this empty table is for Peverell House," McGonagall said, her face and voice seeming a bit concerned as she stared at the empty table and at the students.

Her voice, though, when she spoke, was back to normal, "Well then, first years, when I call your name, I will place the Sorting Hat on your head and you will be sorted into your house." McGonagall explained before she started calling out names. "Abbott, Hannah!"

"Peverell!" the Sorting Hat announced after a few seconds on Hannah's head.

"Bones, Susan!" McGonagall called out looking concerned about Hannah's sorting as a confused Hannah sat down at the empty table.

"Peverell!" the Sorting Hat announced.

"Boot, Terry!"

"Peverell!" the Sorting Hat announced once again, causing Harry to be concerned.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy!"

"Ravenclaw!" the Sorting Hat announced causing Harry to breathe a sigh of relief; his actions hadn't caused the Sorting Hat to get stuck on one house. The sortings went back to the way Harry remembered them until Justin Finch-Fletchley, who also got sorted into Peverell. Soon it was Hermione's turn.

"Peverell!" the Sorting Hat announced, not surprising Harry one bit since Hermione excelled in so many areas. Harry wondered who else would be in Peverell House. Daphne Greengrass was the next to be sorted—she too was in Peverell.

After a few more minutes and names, it was Neville's turn to be sorted. The Sorting Hat proclaimed Neville a Peverell, once again, not suprising Harry at all since Neville's grandmother was always comparing him to his parents. It was no wonder Neville had a problem with self-confidence; never feeling he could live up to his parents' reputations. Harry forced away his smile, remembering all of the things Neville had done during the war and how he had become a well-liked teacher afterwards. He hoped he would be able to be friends with Neville again this time too.

To Harry's disappointment—and Draco's as well since he groaned after the Sorting Hat's decision—Draco was sorted into Peverell. Harry didn't know how he was able to handle Ron and Hermione's bickering before. And now Draco was in the same house as Hermione. If Harry was sorted into Peverell with those two, which he was sure of, he didn't know how he would keep his sanity intact. Hermione being a Muggleborn that surely was going to outscore Draco in every subject and Draco being a pure-blood raised to hate all Muggles and Muggleborns would not fit together well. After a few more sortings that went the way Harry remembered, Padma Patil and Sally-Anne Perks were sorted into Peverell.

"Potter, Harry!" McGonagall called out. Harry walked up to the stool and sat down. McGonagall clearly wanted him to be in Gryffindor as she quietly wished him good luck. The hat, however, barely touched his head before proclaiming Harry a Peverell. Harry could tell McGonagall was slightly disappointed. Harry noticed that being the quickest sorting thus far caused many in the hall to exchange whispers about if he was the Heir of Peverell the Sorting Hat mentioned.

Harry watched the sortings continue. Zacharias Smith was sorted into Peverell House. Harry remembered how rude Zacharias was when providing commentary for Quiddich games, especially for the one Harry played in during his sixth year. Harry hoped if Peverell House was here to stay like the Sorting Hat said, and was allowed to have a Quidditch team, Zacharias wouldn't accuse whoever was captain of the team of playing favorites.

After Lisa Turpin was sorted into Ravenclaw, it was Ron's turn to be sorted.

"Peverell!" the Sorting Hat shouted. Curious, Harry tried to see what was going on at the Gryffindor Table and he could clearly see Ron's twin older brothers Fred and George giving Ron the thumbs down. Harry couldn't believe his luck—Ron, Hermione and Draco all in the same house with him? It was a recipe for disaster. The sortings finished and Professor McGonagall announced the start of the feast, since Dumbledore and Snape were still away.

**Chapter End Notes:**

Draco in the same house as Harry, Ron and Hermione? I think Hogwarts needs to have an evacuation plan. I will tell you now Peverell House is something that is permiment. As for how the points and quidditch stuff for Peverell House is handled, you'll find out later on.

Also, before anyone asks, he's a list of everyone in Peverell House:

Hannah Abbot

Susan Bones

Terry Boot

Justin Finch-Fletchley

Hermione Granger

Daphne Greengrass

Neville Longbottom

Draco Malfoy

Padma Patil

Sally-Anne Perks

Harry Potter

Zacharias Smith

Ronald Weasley

Also, I'd like to give a big thanks to my friend starludev who's been proof reading this story since my normal beta is still MIA (I haven't heard from her in weeks). My friend also gave some very helpfull suggestions about some of the dialoug in this chapter.

Anyways, reviews!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.


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